Madison Elementary School has a dynamic duo, Brent Petermeier and Nathan Schutz. Both are behavioral support specialists (BSS) which means they modify teaching styles to provide intervention for students with significant social, emotional and/or behavioral needs. They work together in partnership with teachers to provide support to specialized instruction for students with individual education plans.
Petermeier and Schutz have been together as a team for the past three years. Petermeier started in the district five years ago as a paraeducator and grabbed the opportunity at the open BSS position. He has a passion for education. It’s “in his blood.” Both his parents and brothers are educators as well as his grandparents on both sides. Even his wife is a teacher.
“I’m very much the opposite,” says Schutz. “I had no intention of ever becoming an educator. I was working in the group home industry which is primarily adults with disabilities. The company I was working for hit some financial hard times and I ended up getting laid off. Essentially, I needed a job. This [position] has been a great fit for me. I can’t see myself doing anything else from here on out in my career.”
Schutz admits he would not have imagined working in a school five years ago.
“Part of the reason why I believe that this has worked so great for me is because I work with such great people,” explains Schutz. “Brent … the two of us hit it off right away. We’ve made this thing work. I think we make a great team.”
Often the pair’s day consists of receiving radio calls from teachers or other support staff to assist with students who may need a break, need help with homework or are just struggling that day.
“Whenever we get radio calls, we alternate which one of us takes the call,” shares Petermeier. “But if Nate’s got a student that’s been doing well during the day and is on a positive break, he’ll just radio me and say, ‘Hey, student A is in the gym if you want to come down and say hi.’ We just work really work well together. … and we know each other’s needs.”
In the moment, the duo sometimes has to come up with creative ideas to help students learn curriculum, handle social-emotional behaviors or engage in positive ways.
“Whenever we have time, Brent and I want to build positive relationships with our students,” says Schutz. “A lot of the interactions with students are when students aren’t doing well. So, we go in and use whatever interventions we can.”
Recently, they created a spin the wheel system with tickets. If a student is in the classroom doing his or her job consecutively, a teacher can give them a ticket. That student can use their ticket to spin the wheel. The wheel has a break, snack, teacher choice, student choice, math worksheet, reading worksheet and writing worksheet. When the student spins the wheel and it lands on math worksheet, the student does a math worksheet and then goes back to class.
“We came up with that idea about a month ago,” says Petermeier, “and the kids have loved it ever since.”
“When kids aren’t really de-escalated, you look at your environment and see anything that might help,” explains Schutz. “Kids can do wall sits or push-ups – ‘Can you do more than me?’ You just look for stuff – anything in the moment to break that cycle of whatever is going on and get them reset.”
Together, Petermeier and Schutz see the successes every day with their students. Whether it’s teachers who take notice or the students themselves identifying they made strides in their progress. The pair see the changes in their students.
“Having that lightbulb turn on in their head to say, ‘If I do this, then I get this.’ or ‘If I do this, then I have to do this.’ Seeing them understand, … realize that they can ask their teacher for a break, and they can come down here [to our room] and we can provide everything they need for them.”
Schutz adds, “One of the greatest successes I see … [is] they ask for a hug or help. I look at that as we’ve done our job because they know it’s a safe space.”
Together, Petermeier and Schutz are helping students grow to become the best possible versions of themselves.
They also reflect a mutual admiration society.
What Petermeier says about Schutz
“Nate goes above and beyond to help students with any situation that may arise. He is often one of the first to respond if a student needs help with schoolwork, a break or whatever the situation may be. Nate ensures the students are cared for. He is great at talking with students about what they may need or what he can do to help them get their day moving in the right direction. He always does it with a smile on his face and jokes to make the kids laugh. Nate is a fantastic co-worker and a positive role model for the kids.”
What Schutz says about Petermeier
“As a BSS, Brent often works with dysregulated students. He is always calm and comforting to students regardless of what is happening. Whenever new opportunities arise, Brent is always willing to be a supportive staff member to students. In the last month alone, Brent has supported second graders swimming at the YMCA as a part of physical education as well as fifth graders at Track and Field Day. He has a keen ability to implement humor in his interactions with staff and students. He has experience as a coach in several sports and I believe he enjoys sharing some of that knowledge with students taking positive breaks. Whether it is teaching a student proper shooting technique in basketball, how to throw a perfect football spiral, or the fine points of a wrist shot, Brent is the go-to guy at Madison. Brent is very approachable and can always be seen with a smile on his face. Madison and District 742 are lucky to have him.”
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